No Time For Us
by C-Unit
Summary: COMPLETED! Read and Review Please! Gordo and Lizzie fall in love. Whipped cream bikinis, fist-fights, fast food, and excellence ensues.
1. Beginning

DISCLAIMER: I don't actually own any of these properties, whether they're characters or events or whatever. Disney owns all of them. Believe me, if I actually owned any of these copyrights, I wouldn't be writing this story. I would be having sex with all the money I made. That's right, with the actual money itself.

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A/N: I've only ever watched one episode of Lizzie Maguire in my entire life - so really, I have no set precedent on how I should be writing this story. You're probably wondering why such an uneducated fan would write a fan fiction based on this lack of knowledge concerning the show. Two reasons: because I liked the characters from the show, and because I'm sick of the same old Lizzie fan fiction I've seen. I'm going to try and write something somewhat different concerning this little universe. I'm going for something more...human I guess is the word. Nothing too frilly or any of that. Just an emotional story.

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CHAPTER 1: Beginning  
  
"They crawl from the oceans to paint in the caves/But I'm working all weekend/I need to get paid" - Bright Eyes, "Drunk Kid Catholic"  
  
I stared at myself in the mirror as I tucked in my shirt. The small bathroom didn't afford any luxury at all, and it seemed cramped for some strange reason. The fluorescent light hummed quietly above me, giving the gray walls an eerie glow, and my skin a pale look.  
"Gee, Gordo you sure look good today" I said sarcastically, to no one in particular. My pale skin, black curly hair and lanky body didn't really do much anyway, so I wasn't surprised to see that my work uniform didn't help much.  
The only job I could get for the summer was at a crappy burger joint at the heart of the downtown core. I needed money badly and this was the only place that would take me. My uniform was a dull red t-shirt and black pants. A grease-stained visor, uncomfortable black shoes and tight socks completed the ensemble. I didn't look or feel attractive at all, and there was no use trying to touch myself up. I sighed heavily and stepped out the bathroom.  
  
The burger joint was simple enough. There was a large sitting area surrounded by large windows that could look out into the parking lot. Various potted plants dotted the area, although they had become withered with age. I thought that they were plastic plants, but I guess not. The whole area was beige and brown and ugly looking. It was a little dirty here and there, just due to the fact lazy people left their garbage where they sat.  
The back of the restaurant where I worked was just steel. There was a grill and various deep-fryers lined up against one wall, with freezers on the other. In the back were a small office and the bathroom. This little area was tiny as well, especially when there were multiple workers in there. The only place that remotely looked good was the front counter, which was separated from the kitchen by a partition. The cooks would hand the food over the partition and into the waiting arms of a cashier.  
  
As I gazed over the restaurant through the partition, my boss came up to me. He was a short, stocky, balding man. He had a horrible fake tan, but I didn't say anything about it. I just smirked at it.  
"Hey David, ready to work?" he said.  
"Please, call me Gordo." He shook his head.  
"No can do son. I gotta call you David." I breathed deeply. I hated my name. It was too formal. I couldn't believe I'd have to put up with a whole summer of it. The boss raised his fist and thumb and pointed me to the cashier area of the restaurant. He walked past me to the office, and I headed towards the front counter, where I had been assigned for the day.  
  
I walked up to the counter and sighed again. I couldn't believe I was going to waste my summer in this grimy hellhole. It was hard to believe that it was already the summer before the last year of high school. Time certainly flew, that was for sure. I wondered where all the time went. Was I cherishing the "best years of my life" when they went by so fast?  
My thoughts were broken by the sound of the door opening. I stood up at attention and looked towards the door. Luckily, it wasn't a customer. It was my friends, Miranda and Lizzie.  
The two had been my friends since lord-knows-when, before I could even remember. We had hung out every weekend together and seen it all. We were really good friends, and it certainly showed.  
"Hey! Gordo!" yelled Miranda. She was wearing blue jeans and a white zip-up sweater. Her black hair was tied up in a ponytail and it accentuated her Latin features.  
"Hey Miranda" I grumbled. I really didn't want them there to see me like this. It was demeaning, considering the circumstances. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that working in a fast-food place is bad, but the one I was at was just pure crap.  
"Make me a burger! Quick! C'mon!" Miranda snapped her fingers in the air.  
"Yeah, and add fries with that!" Lizzie interjected. She was standing just next to Miranda, her blond hair falling in curls over her shoulders. She was wearing a pink velour jumpsuit and it looked absolutely revolting. Normally she had such good style, but today she was just off. Maybe I just didn't know what good style was.  
"Are you guys actually ordering this?" I asked, looking at both of them.  
"No, grill-monkey, we aren't." Miranda grinned mischievously at me. I glared back at her, not amused at all.  
"Then why are you here?"  
"There's gonna be a kick-ass party at Larry's tonight. You coming?" Lizzie asked. She leaned against the counter and made a pouty face. "Pleeeease?" I rolled my eyes. I wasn't exactly one for parties, but these two made it their mission to bring me to any one they were invited to.  
"What time?" I asked, more than a little defeated.  
"Be at his house by 10. We'll meet you in there." Miranda laughed and slapped her hand down on the counter. "C'mon Lizzie, let's get some real food." The two waved goodbye and turned to leave. I sighed and grimaced at the thought of going over to Larry Tudgeman's house for a party. Why did I do this to myself? 


	2. Box of Little Nothings

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lizzie Maguire or anything related to her. Disney is the rightful owner. But that's okay, I guess.

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CHAPTER 2: Box of Little Nothings  
  
"Other nights we stayed up talking/Listening to 80s songs/And quoting lines from all those movies that we loved/It still brings a smile to my face" - The Ataris, "In This Diary"  
  
After I got home from work, I immediately showered. The smell of grease, oil, and cleaner stuck to my body like some horrible potion. I was pretty repulsive in that horrible outfit to begin with, but the awful combination of smells had made me unbearable.  
Since I had showered so early, I was pretty much ready to go to the party. I had thrown on some baggy blue jeans and a white t-shirt. I wasn't trying to impress anybody at this party. I looked in the mirror. I was my same old self again. I stuck my face into the mirror and prodded above my eye. I seriously considered an eyebrow piercing. Maybe after I got my first paycheck I'd get it done. Then I smiled to myself. I'd keep it a secret and surprise Miranda and Lizzie with it.  
I took a whiff of my armpits. Even though I was wearing deodorant, it still wasn't cutting it. That awful smell from work was still there, even if it was only faintly apparent. Either I was really paranoid of smelling like that stuff at work, or I actually did reek of the shit. No matter what, I was going to put on some cologne.  
Unfortunately, the only cologne I had was at the top of the closet in my room. I grabbed a stool from next to my bed and opened my closet. I put the stool at the foot of the entranceway and stood up on it, quivering slightly and almost losing my balance. I looked through the various boxes that were in my closet, looking for the elusive bottle. I found it in a box that was at the bottom of all the others. I clutched it but slipped and fell flat on my ass. A single shoebox tipped out of the closet and landed with a thud in front of me.  
I slowly got up, rubbing my lower back and my ass until the pain subsided. I put the stool back and grabbed the box. I sat on the floor and opened it. I just had to smile.  
  
Inside the box, various things that Lizzie and I shared had been collected. There were little knick-knacks, photos, concert tickets, all sorts of things. Over the years I had certainly done a lot of things with Lizzie. I still laugh at the time we tried to sneak into the movie theatre to see "Vesuvius". Damn. That felt like another time altogether.  
To be honest, I used to have a HUGE crush on Lizzie, back in Grade 7 and 8. I didn't know if she liked me back or how she would have reacted if I had told her, so I kept it to myself. A lot of people assumed that I was in love with her and that we were destined to be together and all that shit, but I thought otherwise. I wasn't "in love" with Lizzie. I don't even know what I felt back then. Just this strange feeling whenever she was near. My heart would beat faster, I would be slightly on edge, and my palms would be all clammy. I couldn't really put a finger on what was going on inside whenever she was around.  
Then one day, I woke up, and those feelings were gone. Just...poof and they were out of sight. I went to school as normal, and I didn't get a faster heart or clammy hands or any of that. I slowly forgot about those feelings, and just thought about how great of a friend she was. Not since the beginning of high school had I even romantically thought about Lizzie. I thought it was strange that this would happen, but I was happy. I didn't have to worry about saying anything stupid or have my mind churn over all the things we'd do as a couple. Our relationship was simple and pure, and that was the way it was going to stay.  
  
I got up and shoved the box into my closet again. Grabbing the cologne, I sprayed it under my arms and across my chest – making sure not to put too much on. When the smell was sufficiently masked, I threw the cologne on my dresser and lay on my bed. Something told me that it was going to be a strange night. 


	3. Party

DISCLAIMER: Disney owns anything related to Lizzie Maguire, not me. If I owned Lizzie Maguire, I'd at least make her do my dishes.  
  
CHAPTER 3: Party  
  
"Do you wanna come to a party?/My friends picked me up at 11:30/This thing's at a frat house but people are cool there/Reluctant I followed but I never dreamed there/Would be someone there who would catch my attention" - Blink 182, "The Party Song"  
  
I got to the party at 10:15. I know Lizzie and Miranda had said 10 but they were always late anyways - doing girl stuff or whatever. I parked my car down the street and got out of it. I locked the doors and started to walk towards Larry's house. By the looks of things, the whole damn thing was in full swing.  
  
The front yard had people milling about on it, smoking cigarettes and sipping vodka. Loud rap music could be heard from a mile away. The lights were on in every single room and it looked like people were having fun. The garage was wide open and a couple were making out on the roof of a car parked there. I walked up the driveway towards the garage and decided to slip in the quiet way. I didn't want to ring the doorbell or make myself too seen. I entered the garage and noticed a guy from my Economics class sitting on a bucket near the back. I casually waved and he nodded back. He looked really depressed, but I didn't care.  
I entered the house and stood in the main hallway. I groaned - the house was absolutely packed. I was never going to find the two girls. I was thinking about turning around to leave and just say I was sick later on when I'd have to explain myself to Lizzie and Miranda. Something compelled me to go on though. Maybe I just needed to forget all the work I did today.  
I walked along the main hallway, admiring the white walls and wooden floor. The house looked really bare. Larry must have taken everything down before people started showing up. I didn't even understand why these people showed up. No one liked Larry, really. He was the biggest nerd, but his parents won the lottery and suddenly everyone was his friend. Maybe people were just looking for an excuse to get drunk. I guess I'd never know.  
  
I went over to the kitchen, a big, tiled, sterile room that housed an immense fridge. I looked inside the steel behemoth and saw that only beer and liquor was inside. I sighed. I finally found some orange juice and took the whole bottle. I sipped it to see if there was any alcohol at all in it. There wasn't and I thanked my lucky stars. I stood in front of the fridge and decided to wait for Lizzie and Miranda there. My logic was that they had to get thirsty sometime.  
After about 15 minutes I was getting restless. They were both nowhere in sight and no one was talking to me. I started to walk around the house aimlessly, only half-looking for the ladies. I hadn't really wanted to go to this party anyway. Why would they want me to come? They know I don't –  
"Gordo!" Lizzie yelled at me from down a hallway. I looked up and nodded. I didn't feel like smiling for some reason. Why was I being such a grump tonight?  
I squeezed past people and made it over to her. Thank god she had changed out of that awful jumpsuit from before. She looked good in a blue tank-top and a white skirt. It went down to her ankles and she was wearing the ankle bracelet I got her for her 13th birthday.  
I remember buying it for her too. I went to so much effort to get it. I saved every penny I could get my hands on and went to every department store to find the perfect one for her. This was when I was crushing on her of course. I would still go to the same lengths for a good birthday gift nowadays, but the intentions were different.  
  
"Is there something wrong with my ankle?" Lizzie asked, looking at me. I looked up.  
"Oh no, sorry about that. Just checking out that kick-ass ankle bracelet. Where'd you get it?" I grinned wide at my stupid joke and she lightly shoved me.  
"You KNOW where, Mr. Gordon." She rolled her eyes. I looked at my shoes, unsure of what to say. Talking to each other every day meant that our conversations were sometimes lacking. I looked from my shoes back up to Lizzie. She certainly did look good.  
"Wait. Where's Miranda?" I asked, looking around. Normally I see the two together at all times during a party, but not right now.  
"She met a guy" Lizzie answered, a grin on her face. "A cute one at that...I think his name was Stan or something like that."  
"So she ditched you for a guy?"  
"Right off the bat."  
"Sorry."  
"That's okay. Girls will be girls." I looked at her again.  
"Why are you alone then? I mean...I'm sure a guy would have asked you to dance or something by now." Lizzie laughed and shook her head. I could sense something in her laugh that was off. Something was up, but I didn't ask. To be honest, I didn't want to. I had always been a shoulder to cry on, but I was tiring of it. It was always "boys" this or "parents" that. I don't even know why she kept going to me with all her stuff. I never really said anything and just ended up hugging her in the end. We'd stay up until 3 AM just staring at my ceiling and holding each other. I have no idea how I helped her problems by doing that. I guess she kind of realized I wasn't much of a help either. We stopped doing that kind of stuff a long time ago.  
  
"You wanna go grab a coffee?" I asked. She looked at me. "I mean this party kind of sucks and...I dunno...Miranda's gone...and...yeah." She was kind of silent. I knew that she was going to say no anyway, but I always liked to at least TRY for an escape.  
"Sure. Let's go." She started to walk past me towards the front door. I stood there, unable to think. Did she just agree with me? Did Lizzie Maguire just leave a party early to hang out with David Gordon? Now I knew something was up. 


	4. Kodak Moment

DISCLAIMER: Disney owns Lizzie Maguire and all her related things. I don't own a single thing related to Lizzie at all, although my friend's sister has the movie on DVD.

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CHAPTER 4: Kodak Moment  
  
"Long lost words whisper slowly to me/Still can't find what keeps me here/When all this time I've been so hollow inside/I know you're still there" - Evanescence, "Haunted"  
  
As Lizzie and I went to my car, looming clouds had been threatening rain, but now, as we sat in the parking lot of the local coffee house, the rain was coming down in buckets. Luckily, we had our coffees and were safe and dry in my car.  
The car was dark. I didn't have any lights on and the coffee place had closed down just after we had bought our cups of Joe. The lot was deserted, and we could barely see two feet in front of us because of all the rain. The engine wasn't running, but I left the radio on the hard rock station. The music was quietly coming from the back speakers and wasn't really cutting into our conversation.  
"My job sucks" I said. "It's too much work for too little pay."  
"Then quit it" Lizzie retorted, always giving the easiest answer, she was.  
"I can't just up and quit. I mean, I need this money really badly."  
"So you can buy me nice things?" I couldn't see her, but I could tell she was grinning widely. I couldn't help but smile too.  
"Yeah, sure, okay" I said, looking out the window. There was silence inside the car, although we both could hear the rain hammer down on the roof of the car. I decided to break the quiet. I was starting to get uneasy for some reason.  
"Sorry about pulling you away from the party." I looked over at her silhouette. She was fixed on me, but looked away quickly.  
"Don't worry about it, okay?"  
"Alright." More silence...damn I was getting nervous. Why? There was no reason to be. Maybe it was the coffee. All that caffeine in me, it had to be that for sure.  
"Gordo, can I ask you a question? I mean, as a friend."  
"Shoot" I said, even pointing me finger in a little gun shape. She couldn't see it of course.  
"Are there any girls at school that you like? Like, do you have a crush on any girl right now?" I breathed in and exhaled loudly, trying to figure out a way to answer that question.  
"No, I don't think so." I looked into my lap, and played with the stick shift, batting it around a little. A hard rock song was playing in the back and it sounded angry about something. I finished playing with the stick and rested my hand on it. I was on edge, and my stomach had butterflies in it. Damn coffee.  
"How about you? Do you like someone? Is that why you wanted to go to the party tonight?" I asked. I looked at anything but her. I felt like I was gonna puke. My hands had started trembling and the rain outside spun around me. Suddenly, Lizzie put her hand on mine. It was soft and warm to the touch. She gently rubbed my fingers with her palm.  
"Actually, yeah, I do." I looked at my hand. I couldn't see it, but I could feel the pins and needles shooting through it. My breathing had become heavy and I broke out into a cold sweat.  
I saw the silhouette of Lizzie's other hand slowly creep in front of my eyes. It came closer and was finally on my cheek. She carefully turned my head towards hers. I kept my eyes open the whole time. She leaned in her face and kissed me.  
  
It was like all those feelings I had in Grade 8 came shooting back into my blood system. Electricity shot through my fingers, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up almost instantly. I thought my heart was going to explode – that I was going to die of happiness. Even though my seatbelt jabbed into me, I didn't care. Even though my coffee was burning my thigh a little, I didn't care one bit. I didn't care that the evening had been shit so far. I didn't care that the song on the radio was angry and loud. I didn't care about my job, Miranda, my family, anything at all. The only two people in the whole world were Lizzie and I, and I couldn't feel any better.  
  
I could smell her and taste her and there was nothing else I wanted to do. I put my hand on her cheek and lightly bit her lower lip. I could feel her smile. She kissed me with such intensity I was almost too distracted to move. How long has she been feeling like this? Why tonight? What do I do now?  
I ran my hand through her hair and down her back. My fingertips were sensing every little detail. I finally rested it on her hip and left it there. It was at this moment she pulled back. We were both panting heavily from the loss of air. She looked at me, and I looked at her. In the dark I could see her smiling. I was smiling too.  
"So, Lizzie...what do we do now?" I asked. I tried to play it as a joke but I was actually being serious. She didn't answer right away. I think she was indecisive.  
"Maybe, I could, you know...stay over tonight." I stared at her.  
"I don't think we should have sex already, I mean..."  
"No silly! I just want to sleep in your bed tonight. To feel you hold me again." I turned and faced out in front of me. Without saying anything, I started the car. 


	5. Whipped Cream

DISCLAIMER: Disney is the owner of Lizzie Maguire properties. Hilary Duff, on the other hand, will soon be mine.

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CHAPTER 5: Whipped Cream  
  
"This is the moment/That you know/That you told her that you love her/But you don't" - Death Cab For Cutie, "Tiny Vessels"  
  
I woke up early to get ready for work. Lizzie was laying next to me, in a small white t-shirt and pink panties. I was in boxers but quickly changed into my work outfit. I slipped out my front door, leaving Lizzie there sleeping. She looked too peaceful to disturb, and I didn't care if my parents found her lying there.  
As I drove to work, I felt as if I didn't exist at all. All the familiar stops, sights, and attractions blurred past me. I was on auto- pilot, not thinking about anything. I would try to form something coherent in my head but it just wouldn't work. It was if my head was filled with cotton and I just COULD NOT think at all. I would start thinking about Lizzie and what happened last night, and then just...stop.  
  
At work I just stared at the wall. The place was deserted, and I was the only one there. All the others had left to do something and the manager was nowhere to be found. I had to do all the jobs myself and make sure things didn't fall apart, but I just did it. No complaints at all, just nothingness inside my head.  
Needless to say, the day was slow and tiring. I cleaned the store up very nicely and stood around. I cooked a burger for myself, but I was the only customer. A non-paying customer at that.  
  
The phone rang near the end of my shift. I went and picked it up. Maybe it was my manager explaining where the hell he was, but it wasn't.  
"Hello?" I asked.  
"Hey." It was Lizzie. She sounded sheepish and quiet.  
"Hey! What's going on?" I asked. I was tired, so I feigned the excitement in my voice just a little.  
"Not much. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out later tonight...just you and me."  
"Sounds like a plan."  
"Cool...awesome...yeah." I was feeling more than a little awkward at all this. It was strange to have made out with my best friend of forever. There was silence over the phone. I had no idea what to say, my head still not working properly.  
"How about I come by after work? I need to shower, but other than that I can see you right away."  
"I'd like that a lot."  
"Okay...well...I'll see you later then."  
"Okay, bye." She hung up the phone, and I hung up my end too. I stared at it for awhile. That was too weird. Why did I feel like crap all of a sudden? Why was that horrendously uncomfortable? I thought that I would feel the electricity from last night, but I didn't. God damn it. What was wrong with me?  
  
I closed work early so I could get to Lizzie's house. It was really near my house but was in a much more fashionable neighborhood. That was so Lizzie, always fashionable, even if she wasn't trying.  
I drove up her driveway, noticing that her parents weren't home. That made me slightly nervous. I walked up to her front door and rang the doorbell. I wasn't feeling like I should be. I was still feeling nothing, my head still cotton. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  
  
Lizzie opened her door in her bathrobe. I thought that she had just taken a shower, so I ignored it as she hugged me. I looked at her and kissed her, long and softly. It didn't feel like it should have. The feelings from last night were completely gone. I thought I was going to be sick. What was I doing here?  
"Hi," she said, quietly. She was smiling like a giddy schoolgirl. I forced a similar grin out onto my face  
"Hey. Can I just grab a shower? I smell like shit." She nodded and moved out of my way to let me in. I took off my shoes and tossed them to the side of her main foyer. I didn't have time to check out the house as I rushed to the upstairs shower.  
  
I let the hot, steamy water envelope my body, but I was too distracted by what I was thinking. I felt nothing for her anymore. I had kissed her last night and that terrified me. What was I going to do? I needed to tell her. I don't love her. But why did I let last night happen?  
  
I walked downstairs and entered her living room. She wasn't there.  
"Lizzie? Where are you?" I asked, loudly. I looked around into the main foyer for a second.  
"In here!" I heard her yell from the kitchen. I walked towards her and turned the corner. I stopped almost immediately.  
While I was in the shower, Lizzie had applied a whipped cream bikini to herself. The white foam covered her boobs and her "area" thoroughly, but she was still showing a LOT of skin. She leaned against her counter seductively and smiled in a cute way.  
"Hi." She laughed when she said that, various parts of her jiggling. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She DID look really hot, and I was at a standstill as to what to do.  
"Uh, hey" I answered, a little unsure of myself. I felt all the colors drain from my face.  
"You look surprised." She giggled again.  
"I'm just a little...yeah." There was silence, and she raised her arm to beckon me to come over. I stayed where I was.  
"Do you like it?" She realized that I wasn't moving so she slowly stepped over to me.  
"Uh..." What do I do? Oh god, tell me!  
"I know how to make this outfit a whole lot better, if you'll help me." I swallowed hard.  
"And...what's that?" I knew the answer before she said it.  
"If you lick it ALL off of me." She stood in front of me, and wrapped her arms around my neck, her wrists grazing the hair on my head. She was a couple of steps away from me. Time stood still.  
My hormones were fighting for dominance in my brain. On one hand, I HAD to tell Lizzie that this can't happen – that I don't think I love her, but on the other, she was really freakin' hot! I had never had sex before and this was certainly an exciting way to start my experiences. I mean...I could learn to love her...maybe having sex with her will make me feel those old feelings all over again. It couldn't hurt could it? If I just get this whole virgin thing over with – with a beautiful young woman nonetheless – then it would be okay. Right? I mean, I didn't even have to love her to do this...I could break up with her in, like, a week and everything would still be cool.  
  
What was hell was I thinking!?!? I couldn't do this! I just couldn't. I looked away from Lizzie and took her arms off of my neck. She looked bewildered.  
"I'm sorry. I can't." I turned away from her and stepped towards the main hallway.  
"Why not?" she cried at me.  
"Because Lizzie...I don't love you."  
"What?" I breathed deeply. I was getting scared. I didn't want to explain myself to her, didn't want to talk. I wanted out of that house so fast.  
"Lizzie, I don't love you." I turned around and faced her. Tears had welled up in her eyes and her face had turned beet red. The waterworks were about to start. I felt awful. She looked absolutely ridiculous, with her red face, puffy eyes, and whipped cream outfit. I was trying my hardest not to crack a smile at her appearance at the most important time. I soldiered on; thinking that saying something – anything – would make me stop thinking funny thoughts.  
"Last night...it was a spur of the moment thing. I don't know why I did it. I think I was just lonely. I mean...you're a great friend and you're gorgeous," I tried not to laugh at that part because of how weird she looked, "but I don't feel the same way as you. I did a LONG time ago, but not anymore." I stood there, looking at her. My heart felt heavy because I knew we had just killed our whole entire friendship. I was going to say sorry, but I couldn't pull myself to do it. She looked so pathetic standing there, and I'm sure I looked just as bad.  
She crumpled to the floor and leaned against the counter. I looked away from her. I knew that if I did, I would see things I shouldn't.  
"So I'm too late?" she asked, the tears streaming down her face. "I missed my chance?"  
"If this was Grade 8, then we'd be together so fast...but now..."  
"Why?"  
"I don't know."  
"You have to." She sniffed and shuddered. I breathed deeply and sat next to her. I decided to change the subject.  
"How long have you..."I trailed off. She knew exactly what I was talking about.  
"Since forever."  
"Forever?"  
"I remember meeting you for the first time, and I was just...I mean...I was a little kid who could barely walk and I thought you were the greatest." I stared at my hands. She stared at her knees. I wanted to rub them reassuringly, like I always did. Whenever she had a problem, I would always rub her legs and knees. It made her feel better. Now...I wasn't so sure what to do. I hadn't done that in a long time, and now was weird enough as it was.  
"I didn't want to tell you this way" I mentioned. I pointed out her cream bikini, which had, embarrassingly enough, started to drip off her body. She didn't move or change her facial expressions at all. She looked blank. Maybe her head had been filled with cotton too.  
I couldn't take being there anymore. I felt our friendship deteriorating every second. I wanted to run screaming from the room and the house, but I didn't. I just sat there, not moving at all. I was losing my friend. She was slipping through my hands like grains of sand, and there was nothing I could do about it.


	6. Past and Present

DISCLAIMER: Disney owns Lizzie Maguire and all her related things, not me. Am I creepy to want a lock of Hilary's hair though?

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CHAPTER 6: Past and Present  
  
"If I could change I would/Take back the pain I would/Retrace every wrong move that I made I would/If I could stand up and take the blame I would/If I could take all the shame to the grave I would" - Linkin Park, "Easier To Run"  
  
It rained for a straight week after that – hard, pelting rain that left everything soaking wherever you went. It made it impossible to get around, to see people, to enjoy things.  
Not as if I could anyway. I was trapped at work, and inside my head. All I could picture was the look on Lizzie's face when I told her I didn't love her anymore. I remember that I was holding back laughter at the time because it looked so silly...but it didn't seem that way anymore. I wanted to cry every time I remembered her, but I couldn't do it. I thought about her at work, at home, everywhere. I would be crying all the time, everywhere I went. I just couldn't force myself to do it.  
I wondered what Lizzie was thinking at this very instant. I realized that it was useless to think these things. Lizzie hadn't contacted me, and the thought of me doing so would evaporate quickly. I had no idea what to say or do or tell or anything. I would just sit in my room and stare. This was turning out to be a really shitty summer.  
  
I tried to call Miranda, to see if she had talked to Lizzie at all. I needed some information about her – anything at all. Sure, I got sick now and then of talking to Lizzie everyday, but when I hadn't heard anything for the week, I was becoming concerned. Plus, the situation was a little different now.  
I took the restaurant's cordless phone and locked myself in the bathroom at work. The small, claustrophobic area closed in on me instantly as I sat on the toilet and dialed Miranda's number.  
There were a couple of rings before she picked up. Luckily, she wasn't screening her calls. That was a good thing. It meant that she was still going to talk to me.  
"Hello?" Miranda asked.  
"Hey. It's me" I said, glumly.  
"Oh, it's you." She sounded disappointed.  
"Great, so you heard?"  
"You're damn right I heard!" she said, a little more roughly than I expected.  
"Look...I...I...I called because I needed to talk to you, not to get a lecture." I wasn't complaining, I was begging. I heard her exhale loudly on the phone.  
"I know. I know. I'm sorry."  
"So yeah, I have no idea what to do." I looked at my hand. It had been burned earlier that morning on the grill and was a little swollen and red.  
"You've got to talk to her, that's all there is to it."  
"And how do you propose I do that?"  
"Walk up to her, get her alone and talk about it!"  
"This isn't helping at all" I said. I was starting to get a little annoyed, but then again, I understood it wasn't the easiest situation to handle. A solution wasn't just going to present itself.  
"Sorry," I said. "It's just...god...I feel like such an asshole." There was silence on the other end.  
"I think you love her, Gordo." I was a little taken aback by this.  
"Uh, what?"  
"You love Lizzie."  
"No, I don't. This is what made this mess in the first place."  
"I'm sure of it."  
"What makes you say that, then? What makes you so god-damned sure about it?"  
"I don't know. A lot of things. How you've been best friends for the longest time, how you'll go along with whatever she wants to make her happy, and how you look at her sometimes." She went dead silent after that. I could barely hear her breathing.  
"It's not like that anymore. I might have been like that in Junior High, but not now."  
"Just because you grow up doesn't mean that things have to change completely."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"People grow up, and people change, Gordo. You and Lizzie aren't exactly the same as when youwere little, but the love is still there in different ways."  
"I don't follow you at all" I said. My mind had just been jumpstarted. There was something there that I just wasn't catching.  
"In Junior High, you would have followed her to the end of the earth for the smallest little thing, but not anymore, because...because...well, your priorities are different. Just because you aren't biding her every wish or helping her all the time or jealous of other guys anymore doesn't mean that the love you have isn't there." I sat there silent.  
"Think about that for a while" Miranda added, before abruptly hanging up the phone. I hung up too and put the phone in the sink.  
  
Around the first week of high school, I woke up and went to my mirror. Normally, I wouldn't be the most confident guy in the world. I would be forced to spend another day with Lizzie, bottling up my feelings for her and thinking about the million and one ways I could tell her I love her, and that would take a toll on my self-esteem. But this day was a little different. In the mirror I saw a confident, growing, young guy in control of things. I smiled for the first morning in a long time. I had accepted the fact that she wouldn't want me, and that it was hopeless to try. I remembered that Lizzie hadn't come to me in a while about anything really important. She was doing alright, and didn't need me as much as she used to. All those nights we spent staring at the ceiling, holding each other, were starting to fade away into nothingness. I could get over the fact that she would only come to me about her boy problems instead of other stuff. I was uncaring about how I would just be a regular friend to her, instead of that special person she could come to with anything. If she could adjust, so could I. What was the point of being in love with someone if you weren't needed as much?  
  
Suddenly I realized the error of my ways. I had confused my love for her with apathy. I had felt absolutely fantastic kissing her because it was new and exciting and all things good in the world. But the next day, it was more normal...I had gone to work and then to her house. I wasn't out of love; I was just desensitized to how normal everything felt.  
I needed to do something! I loved Lizzie...I really did. My feelings might not feel the same as they once did, but they were still there. I decided to get to her house, in any way possible. I needed to see her as soon as humanly possible.  
I hopped out the bathroom and ran towards the door, right in the middle of work. I dodged coworkers and my boss and swung myself over the counter, heading full speed for the door.  
"Where the hell are you going?" my boss called out.  
"I quit!" I yelled, not looking back. I slammed into the door, opening it quickly. I went full speed to my car and leapt into it. I took a deep breath and started the ignition. I didn't know what I was going to do, but it had to be done.


	7. Obstacle 1

DISCLAIMER: Lizzie Maguire is property of the Disney Corporation. No Hilary Duff, I won't make out with you for a dollar! Hell, I'll do it for free.

* * *

CHAPTER 7: Obstacle 1  
  
"I had that dream again/The kind that change your mind/About life/About love/And about you too/Not the band/But the friend/I know" - Anything But Joey, "Girl Roommate"  
  
I sped through the streets, running stop signs and red lights to get to Lizzie's house. The sun had just started to peer from under the clouds and was beginning to set for the day. The rain had finally stopped and it was quite a beautiful sight. There was an orange hue cast over the streets, the puddles lit up, and there was a slight breeze. It gave me more hope and energy for what I was about to do.  
I swerved on to Lizzie's street and stopped in front of her house abruptly. The car rocked back and forth, smoke coming from the tires. I jumped out of the car and noticed an old neighbor of Lizzie's looking at me strange. I ignored the old bat and briskly walked towards her front door.  
Luckily, she came outside and was locking her door. Her back was turned to me, and she was fiddling with her keys.  
"Lizzie!" I called out. She whirled around. She quickly turned back to her locking and when it was done she turned again and walked towards her sidewalk, ignoring me.  
"Go away, Gordo" she said, looking at the sidewalk in front of her. She was walking fast and determined.  
"No, we need to talk." I caught up to her and tried to keep the pace with her. I was on her right side, but she wouldn't look at me, still.  
"We don't, alright?"  
"Yes, we do!" I grabbed at her arm but she pulled it away and stopped walking. She grabbed me by the shoulders and faced me, looking me in the eyes.  
"No we don't! I'm embarrassed enough as it is, and you're here to rub it in even more."  
"I'm not here to rub anything in. I just need to tell you something." She shook her head and started walking again.  
"We can't, okay? I'll be late for my date." I suddenly realized that she was dressed a lot more formal than she normally was, a light red dress draped over her body. I was still in my putrid work uniform, and I felt like nothing compared to her now.  
An explosion of anger and jealousy suddenly burst through my veins. Why was she going out on a date?! Already? Jesus! I jogged up to her.  
"A date? With who?"  
"Ethan Craft." God, I hated him, and she knew that!  
"Why the hell are you going out on a date with him?!"  
"Because he's not you!" she yelled. Tears were streaming down her face now and her face had become all red and puffy again. She stormed off, wiping the tears from her face. I just stood there, watching her go. I turned around, not knowing what to do. I saw that same neighbor looking at us.  
"What the hell are you staring at?" I yelled, giving the finger. I stormed back to my car and sat in the driver's seat. I hit the steering wheel with all my might, repeatedly. I slapped it and groaned and yelled nothing at no one.  
After about an hour of that I slumped in my seat, breathing deeply. What was I going to do? I pondered for a moment and it came to me. I was never one to do stupid things (until recently of course), but this was just the thing I needed to get done. I revved up my car and gunned it, heading back down the street. 


	8. Obstacle 2

DISCLAIMER: Disney owns Lizzie Maguire, not I. Insert witty comment here.

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CHAPTER 8: Obstacle 2  
  
"Back off/I'll take you on/Headstrong/Take on anyone" - Trapt, "Headstrong"  
  
I quickly shot up into my room and changed into some half decent clothes. I started to douse myself in the same cologne I used at the party. I needed to look semi-decent if I was going to pull of this stupid stunt. While I was doing this, I dialed Miranda's number.  
As I danced about, trying to stick my arm through my shirt hole, she picked up the phone.  
"Hello?" she asked.  
"Hey Miranda! Where's Lizzie going on her date?" I said quickly.  
"I...I...what?" Miranda sounded taken aback by all this.  
"Where's Lizzie going with Ethan tonight?" I yelled a little louder and slower. I finished putting on my clothes and was pacing back and forth in the room frantically.  
"And why would I tell you that?"  
"Just do it!" I screamed.  
"Alright, alright! They're at the Neon." I hung up on her after that without saying goodbye or thank you and shot out my bedroom. The Neon was a fancy, trendy restaurant and dance club near my work. Various celebrities had been spotted there so the people who worked and ate there thought that they were better than the rest of the town. It was seen as a vapid, horrible place to eat by any regular person, but funnily enough, Ethan Craft wasn't exactly regular. He was just as vapid and pretentious as the restaurant was.  
  
My car squealed down my street and I swung it to the left, barely avoiding a family of eight. I sped along the same roads I took to get to the work but instead of turning left I sped right and into the expensive part of town. I saw the Neon and its large glowing sign on my right. I swung into the parking lot and stopped right in front of the side entrance. I leapt out of my car and ran towards the main entrance.  
The two doors slammed open as a pushed through them. I paused in the main foyer and surveyed the scene. On my right was the entrance to the dance club and trance music could be heard booming from it. A large bouncer stood in front of the door. I looked to the left and saw the restaurant area. I hoped that Lizzie was still eating. I ran into the restaurant part of the building. There were a lot of people sitting and chatting. Expensive art lined the walls, and the area was well lit. I stopped and surveyed the tables, looking for that blond hair, that red dress. I was looking for the most beautiful girl in the world – someone who should be easily seen by any measure.  
I saw her sitting across from Ethan at a table near the back of the restaurant. She looked distracted and sad. I guess the date wasn't helping how she felt at all. Ethan sat across from her, gabbing her ear off about whatever.  
  
I never liked Ethan Craft. Lizzie was always talking about him all the damn time about how great he was. I was always jealous of his popularity, his looks, and the attention he would get from girls. He was like a constant cheese grater to my confidence – wearing away any self worth I had in the most aggravating way possible. It was time to get his own back.  
"Lizzie!" I yelled from across the restaurant. I started to briskly walk towards her table. "Lizzie!"  
She looked up and Ethan turned around, frowning.  
"I'm so sorry Lizzie! I DO love you! I just made a mistake! Please forgive me! I love you so much!" She looked shocked and bewildered. Ethan stood up and faced me. I noticed the size of his muscles. His hair spiked menacingly into the air, distracting me for a quick second.  
"Get the hell out of here! You're ruining our date!" he said gruffly. I kept looking at Lizzie, though.  
"Lizzie...please! Don't date this jackass – I love you! I always have!" I stumbled into a chair that had been pushed out. Lizzie giggled a little at my less than heroic foible. "Please." I stopped and stood near their table, still looking at Lizzie. Ethan approached me and grabbed my arm.  
"You're making a scene Gordo. Get out of here before I kick your ass." He glared at me. I looked over at him.  
"Get your hand off of me."  
"Make me David. Just make me." My anger boiled. I hated my name, and there was NO way he was going to start calling me that. NO way!  
  
I pulled back and punched him right in the jaw. He stumbled back a little, but still held on to my arm. He cocked his fist back and I ducked. He missed, but grabbed the belt loops on my pants and he swung me into a table. I crashed into it, but I regained my balance quickly. The people who where sitting at the table all shot up and got away from it as fast as possible. I turned around only to see Ethan leap at me in his famous football tackle style.  
He hit me square in the waste and we both crashed over the table, falling to the floor. I was in immense pain, but I clung on to him. I threw punches right to his face, using my right arm over and over again as fast as I could possibly go. He wrestled out of my hold and grabbed my hand. He clocked me right in the eye with his other hand. My head swung back and it stung like a mother.  
He grabbed my shirt and pulled me up to stand against him. I didn't want that, as he had a horrible advantage in both height and bulk. I immediately got him in a headlock, and we stumbled around a little bit. I held on to him tightly, throwing punches to his face every now and then, as he swung and pelted my stomach.  
Then all of a sudden, the son-of-a-bitch punched me as hard as he could right in my groin. The asshole sacked me! I crumpled to the floor immediately. My stomach was aching and so were my nuts. I felt like I was going to throw up – so I did, all over the floor of that shitty restaurant.  
As I lay on the ground clutching my pained genitals, Ethan grabbed my head and flipped my body so I was lying on my stomach. I was now trying to push myself up, but I couldn't. I was too weak, too much in pain. I grimaced as he pulled at my hair, cocking my head back. I knew exactly what was coming.  
Ethan slammed my head into the hard floor of the restaurant. He did it again and again. Sharp pain was coming from my temple and I could feel the sticky liquid of my blood flow down my face. I was leaving a purple puddle of my insides all over the floor.  
After the fourth (or was it fifth? I stopped counting.) hit I blacked out.


	9. Hospital

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lizzie Maguire or anything relating to her – that is Disney's business, not mine. I think I have enough money in my piggy bank to buy Disney up, however.  
  
CHAPTER 9: Hospital  
  
"I know exactly what you're thinking/But I swear this time I will not let you down/I'm not as selfish as I used to be/That was a part of me that never made me proud" - Stabbing Westward, "What Do I Have To Do?"  
  
I awoke later, a dull throbbing pain in my head. Everything was groggy and bright, but I could tell that I was in the hospital. I could smell medicine and sterility waft throughout my room. I tried to sit up but I could barely move. I guess I had been drugged up earlier. My body couldn't handle it and I groaned.  
"Whoa there, don't exert yourself" cooed a familiar voice. Lizzie was right beside me. I turned and saw her sitting on my bed. She looked tired and frazzled. She still smiled at me though.  
"Ugh. What time is it?" I asked, trying to shake the cobwebs from my head.  
"It's about 10 o'clock." She rubbed my forehead with her hand. It felt so soothing. Her touch made me happy and warm all over.  
"What happened?" I asked. I finally opened my eyes all the way and adjusted to the lights.  
"Ethan beat the shit out of you."  
"That was expected."  
"I took you here after they got him." I didn't ask who "they" were, and I didn't ask how we got to the hospital. I felt like a pile of crap, and talking made me feel worse.  
"Am I okay?" I knew I was, but I just wanted to hear her voice.  
"Just some stitches, bruises, that kind of thing." I nodded and she took my hand. That warmth, that electricity from before had returned. I smiled at this.  
"I'm so sorry about all this...about the restaurant and Ethan and at your house and everything" I burst out crying. All the emotions I had been feeling over the days were pouring from my eyes. Tears streamed down my face and everything felt really distant. Everything but Lizzie' hand.  
"It's okay, it's okay" she repeated, soothing me. She rubbed my arm and kissed me on the lips – a soft, sweet, and short one that left me feeling like a million dollars.  
"Lizzie, I love you. I love you so much..." I trailed off as I started to cry again. God! I was so stupid! I was an idiot and now I'm this weakling in the hospital!  
"I love you too, Gordo...I love you too." I silently sobbed to myself and Lizzie hugged me. I mustered up some strength and hugged her back. I could feel my tears pressed against her cheek, and the warmth of her body was calming me down. I held on to her as tightly as I could and kissed her neck. Lizzie always made me feel better.  
She separated herself from me and stood up. She smiled a reassuring smile.  
"I have to go home now, or my parents will kill me" she said. I nodded in agreement. "I'll call your folks on my way out and I'll visit you everyday, okay?" I nodded again.  
"Bye Gordo."  
"Bye Lizzie. See you tomorrow." She kissed me quickly on the lips and walked out of my room. I watched her leave, but didn't feel sad. I could still feel her warmth against my skin, and I smiled. All of a sudden I felt that everything was okay again. No matter what happened, our love would feel like it should. 


End file.
